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A change of pace (Dragon)

Once Rose and the guard kitsunes were gone, Dragon turned to the others, "Alright. Nissa, unpack the uniform for me. Wolf, n**, Dai, Broden; I want you four to do some recon on this Estefan mammal. I'm guessing there is already some dissension in the clan at his attempt to take the throne--more so with Rose's arrival. But whatever dirt we can dig upon him will be better."

"Room service," someone said from the door.

"Nissa, would you get that please?" Dragon asked, taking her uniform from the android and going to a back room to change.

"Yes ma'am," Nissa said. Opening the door, Nissa saw a youngish kitsune standing in front of a cart full of food. After a simple security scan of the food, Nissa said, "Throw it out, young sai."

"Ma'am?" the kitsune asked.

"Whoever prepared that for us poisoned it," Nissa said. Handing the kitsune a few gold pieces, she said, "For your trouble."

"Poisoned?" Broden asked as Nissa shut the door. "Well isn't that a jolly nice thing of them to do?"

"I think Estefan was behind it," Dai said. "Though it was a lame attempt."

"It was a test," Dragon replied, returning to the front room. "He wanted to see if any of us would have detected the poison."

"In your current states that would be near impossible," Nissa said. "Flan, Wolf, and Dai would have been the only ones, besides myself, who would have picked up the faint scent of bitter almonds."

"Cyanide," Nogard said. "Crude, but effective."

"Alright," Dragon said. "Everyone ready?"

Flan tapped on Dragon's shoulder and began to sign. [1]

"I want you with me to pick up on any assassination attempts on Rose," Dragon replied.

Flan signed again. [2]

Dragon considered this for a moment before replying, "Fine. If something happens to YOU guys, you drop locks IMMEDIATELY and let me know."

Flan saluted.

"Smart a**," Dragon grinned. "You five head up to the north side of town. The rest of you, with me."

Leading the way to where the final trial was to happen, Dragon arrived in time to see Rose first sit, then get out of the royal throne. Walking over and standing at ease next to her, Dragon said, "Remind me not to tell you any more stories about how my mother achieved the throne back home, Princess. It seems to have worn off on you."

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A change of pace (Wolf/n**/Dai/Broden/Flan)

Hearing the faint buzz, Flan did not even bother to warn the others.

"Flan, what--" Broden asked just as Flan shoved him backwards into Dai and and Wolf.

With n** behind the three of them in her tiger form, the four toppled to the ground. A split second later, a net attached to screws flew through the air at chest level. With Flan the only one still standing, it easily caught her and drove her against a far wall with her back against a dull spike. Embedded in the walls, the screws began to tighten the net around flan.

Before Broden could climb to his feet again, he felt cold steel against the back of of his head--and with his powers fully locked down he had little defense against anything made of steel. "To yer feet, my cully."

Slowly climbing to his feet, Broden saw that they were surrounded by several demons and a few kitsunes. Seeing Flan screaming soundlessly as the dull spike was driven into her back, Broden asked, "Is it kitsune custom to fraternize with the enemy?"

The kitsune who had held a sword against the back of his head smacked Broden across the mouth with the pommel of the sword. "SILENCE!"

Spitting out blood and a few teeth, Broden straightened up and rubbed his jaw. "Silence is boring." [3]

"Though silence adds sparkle to many a speech," Dai replied. [4]

"That was a pretty saying," Broden said to Dai. "You'll have to tell me where you--oof!"

The kitsune had hit Broden again, this time in the stomach. "I said silence!"

Staggering to keep on his feet, Broden wheezed a moment or two before standing up again. "You can keep hittin' me and hittin' me, and you'll never get me to shut up, friend."

Snarling, the kitsune smashed Broden first across the face, then in the stomach, then on the back of the neck when Broden bent over.

"Really, if that's the best you've got," Broden wheezed, spitting out more blood and a few more teeth, "Dai, Wolf, go get Flan. n** and I will take care of these bozos."

To be continued...